Authenticity or Hypocrisy: Who Decides?

I have been reading quite a bit lately on the postmodern turn, and specifically, the response of Christianity to this seeming change in the way people synthesize truth today. One of the basic postmodern trends we see today is a longing for authenticity. In church life, this means people want their leaders and services and everything else to be "real."

I just finished another book by Mark Driscoll, a brilliant if somewhat confused young pastor in the Seattle area. Mark is, for me, the perfect subject of the statement that "you have to hate him a lot not to love him a little." In fact, I appreciate him more than a little, and also hate a few things about him a lot. While I could write about how I agree with his "missional" emphasis, and how I enjoy his doctrinal tenacity, and appreciate his heart to see the Spirit (He calls him "God the Ghost") draw people to Jesus through the Gospel, I just want to discuss one little thing here briefly. I find it fascinating that, in this area of "authenticiy", one man's "realness" is another's "hypocrisy."

Mark makes no bones about the fact that he cusses. In his book "Blue Like Jazz", Donald Miller actually described Mark as the "cussing pastor." And while Mark occasionally suggests, with some subtlety, that maybe, perhaps, in a way, conceivably, it might be good for him to restrain himself a little more, it is clear from his own references to it that cussing is one of the ways that he shows the watching world that he's "real." And, while I am sure that to a certain segment of Mark's target audience, cussing demonstrates a certain earthy "authenticity" unlike the stoggy, tie-and-suited-preacher of their youth, for me rough, course, gutter speech used to further the Gospel message seems grossly hypocritical. Vulgarity for Jesus just doesn't seem right, somehow. Challenging hearers to live righteously while wearing profanity as a banner of authenticity puts Mark in the same camp with those preachers of yesteryear who said one thing while doing another. I guess some modernity has found its way into the postmodern camp after all.

But, lest this end with you thinking that I have it out for Mark, be assured that this is not the case. I think he's brilliant, and I believe God is using him in amazing ways to bring freedom and forgiveness to the broken in this world. I just wish he'd clean up his language. I don't think the use of gutter speech demonstrates the kind of authenticity a follower of Jesus Christ really wants.

What do you think?

David

Progress and Pain

A few weeks ago, I learned a hard thing that was good for me, very good.

It was a typical Wednesday morning, and I had spent the early hours in study. Knowing I had a counseling appointment with a couple whose marriage was fast eroding, I spent a few minutes before their arrival cleaning up my office, and asking the Lord to bring something significant out of our time together.

After almost 45 minutes of watching them throw verbal darts at one another, I could stand no more and decided to take charge of the session. I began by asking them if they really wanted a healthy marriage, and was glad at their positive response. Then, I listed a few simple things they could do to start the restoration process. What puzzled me greatly was the vigor with which they began making excuses as to why they could not replace bad attitudes and habits with godly ones. Simple things like praying together, taking walks for the express purpose of talking about the good things they shared, reading one of the Gospels together – each was met with disdain, if not disgust, as though they knew better than I did that such things would never work. As I continued, the real reason came out. They just didn’t want to change. The perceived discomfort of admitting, and turning from their unrighteous ways to pursue godliness was for them much more severe than their current pain. I wanted to shout “Your marriage stinks, while mine is fantastic! And you’re telling me that what I know to be true isn’t true for you?” Maybe I should have shouted, for our time ended without any sign that they were leaving improved over how they came.

After they left, I hurried off to a lunch appointment with my good friend Bill, who also happens to be my physician. Somewhere between hearing about his kids and mine, he asked how I was feeling physically. I began explaining how I’d gained back most of the weight I had lost 2 years ago, felt winded when working in the yard, was tired most of the time, and how I just generally wasn’t running at top efficiency. So, he began asking about my nutritional choices, my lack of exercise, my general “life-balance”, and my sleeping habits. One by one all of my bad attitudes and habits were exposed. He jokingly asked if I actually wanted to feel better! Of course I did! And then, without skipping a beat, I heard myself giving Bill all the reasons and excuses why “change” just wasn’t possible right now. He was gracious, but wouldn’t let me get away with such a flimsy response, and once again coached me back into a willingness to be healthy.

As I drove away, I realized what you’re already thinking. Just like the couple with the decaying marriage, I was more willing to stay in the discomfort of unhealthy living than bear the pain of progress. Getting better didn’t seem worth it.

What undiluted foolishness we allow ourselves! How muddled is our thinking when, while declaring a desire for improvement, we sabotage real progress by listening to the soft arguments of our own laziness. And our society actually has made it easy for us to consider our unrighteous and unhealthy indulgences as comfortable, and even more, something we “deserve.” But now I’ve seen the enemy, and it is me. Once again, I’ve made the decision to get out of my own way. Next time I see Bill, I’ll have better news for him.

In my marriage, I began – on the good advice of a good brother – doing certain things that were right, treating my wife with certain kindnesses. Things like verbalizing love, cleaning up dishes, doing the unexpected as well as the expected – none of these came naturally. I had to discipline myself to do them, because they were the proper way to care for a wife. But, over time, as my wife responded with joy and love to my efforts, the things I was told to do out of duty became things I wanted to do out of enjoyment. The good result turned the “ought to” into a “get to.” I am on track to see if the same can be said in the area of my fitness, and my overall health. First, I’ll start with the “have to’s” and hope to experience results that will turn them into a set of healthy “get to’s.” And I’ll keep praying for the health of my couple. We’ll both need to focus on Jesus, and the godly results he asks of us if we’re to explode the self-managed myth that the pain of progress is a deal breaker.

Hope this helps,

David

The Significance of 50

I reached the end of my fiftieth year a few weeks ago. As you who have preceded me understand, the occasion marks a significant moment in life. Then again, perhaps significant is really too impressive a word to describe what is, actually, just another day. Be that as it may, I was forced to consider it as significant by the many well wishes of my friends, accompanied by invitations to take a train ride, to dine at several special establishments, to go away for a 4 day celebration of my birth, and most compelling of all, over 150 birthday cards. My birthday seemed to stretch into days and weeks. But while reading all of the cards, I came to the conclusion that reaching 50 was not what they were celebrating with me as much as the fact that, in some way, our lives had intersected over the years, and we were all better off for it. That was – and is – significant.

And so, I have found myself wondering just who and what I will be seeing and celebrating in ten years, in twenty, in thirty, and perhaps, beyond. Of course, in large part that will be up to me. Time is an empty boundary that we get to fill. How we fill it, how we use it, how we invest ourselves in doing good to the glory of God – this will determine the greatness of future celebrations. And yet, looking at ten, twenty, or thirty more years as time to be used is daunting. It is too much time to take seriously, to large a block to plan out, to unknowable to know. Of course God has always wanted it that way. He is the only One who knows just what all time holds, for He has seen the end from the very beginning. So, what is left for you and me in consideration of this essential - yet untamable – life fuel called time? Just this. Since God rules over all of time, we need not be consumed with the vastness of the future. We need rather to be consumed with Him. We need to love God passionately, proclaiming Him unashamedly, and delighting in Him wholly. In trying to fill up our boundaries with good things, with great achievements, with legacy and lasting impressions, we must never turn from the pursuit of His glory. Are the “good things” God worthy? Are the “great achievements” of eternal significance? Is the “legacy” one that shouts the Lord is great and greatly to be praised? If not, we must not waste our time. After all, we only have so much.

One last thing. Having lived this long, I now understand that things hardly ever go as planned. And while I still believe that plans are the framework of prudent stewardship and faithful living, I have also learned that some of the very best gifts God gives us come unexpectedly. It appears that our Heavenly Father finds joy in surprising us with good things. These occasions of happy providence often find us when life has not gone as planned. Down an unwanted detour we may find an uncommon joy. And so is the paradox of living Christianly. We plan our way, but God directs our steps. I’ve got some plans for my next allotment of years, but I’m really excited to see what God has planned for me.